Travel trailer with extendable two level bathroom and bedroom

ABSTRACT

A recreational travel trailer comprising a main housing which encloses a living space having multiple floor levels, and a two level extendable housing having a deployed configuration and an extended configuration. The extendable housing is movably positioned within an opening in the main housing so that a first floor of the extendable housing is positioned adjacent to a first floor of the main housing and so that a second floor of the extendable housing is positioned adjacent to a second floor of the main housing. In the deployed configuration, the extendable housing extends through the opening of the main housing so as to increase the enclosed space within the trailer. In the retracted configuration, the extendable housing is substantially positioned within the main housing so as to provide the main housing with a shape and size that is suitable for being towed on a public road. The trailer is further comprised of a two level actuator assembly which moves the two level extendable housing. The actuator assembly is comprised of a rear and front rail assemblies that are vertically offset from each other and a two level drive mechanism positioned therebetween that causes the rail assemblies to move opposite ends of the extendable housing in a synchronous manner. A foldable wardrobe having a deployed configuration and a retracted configuration is mounted to the extendable housing. In the deployed configuration, the wardrobe extends into a full size wardrobe. In the retracted configuration, the width of the wardrobe is reduced so as to enable the extendable housing to be placed into the retracted configuration.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.09/283,708 filed Apr. 1, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,903, entitled“Travel Trailer with Extendable Two Level Bathroom and Bedroom.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to travel trailers and in particularrelates to travel trailers that are adapted to expand in size so as toincrease the effective interior area of the travel trailer.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recreational travel trailers are becoming increasingly popular withpeople who wish to retain the comforts and conveniences of home whilespending extended periods of time away at remote locations. Inparticular, a recreational travel trailer is a modestly priced mobilestructure which can be towed behind a passenger vehicle, such as atruck, and forms an enclosed interior living space so as to provide ashelter for individuals. In more elaborate configurations, the traveltrailer typically includes amenities such as a bedroom, a bathroom witha sink and a flushing toilet, a kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, andsink, and a generously sized living area with reclining chairs and anentertainment center. Furthermore, a travel trailer can be easily parkedat a wide variety of locations so that users can enjoy the amenities ofthe travel trailer at their favorite destination. Consequently, peoplewho use travel trailers can usually be assured of a comfortable livingenvironment at their preferred destination without having to rely on theavailability of suitable hotels.

In response to consumer demand, manufactures of travel trailers havedeveloped increasingly larger travel trailers. However, state andfederal laws limit the dimensions of travel trailers that can betransported on public roads, thereby limiting the living space withinthe travel trailer. In particular, current regulations specify a maximumlength, otherwise known as the maximum allowed length, of highway boundtravel trailers to be no greater than 40 feet. Furthermore, currentregulations specify a maximum width, otherwise known as the maximumallowed width, of highway bound travel trailers to be no greater than8.5 feet. Thus, the travel trailer industry has devoted considerableresources to develop improved travel trailers so as to increase theliving space of the travel trailer in a manner that is consistent withthe forgoing size restrictions.

Consequently, manufacturers have developed travel trailers with one ormore extendable members that provide the user with a supplemental livingspace when the travel trailer is parked. In particular, the extendablemember is adapted to extend into a deployed configuration during thetime that the travel trailer is parked so that the living space withinthe travel trailer is increased by an amount which is substantiallyequal to the supplemental living space of the extendable member.Furthermore, the extendable member is adapted to retract into aretracted configuration during the time that the travel trailer is beingtowed so that the traveling dimensions of the travel trailer are withinthe maximum allowed width and length.

The typical extendable member is positioned within an opening of thehousing of the travel trailer and is comprised of a plurality of wallsthat form the supplemental living space therein and an opening thatprovides access to the supplemental living space. In particular, thewalls of the typical extendable member are comprised of a lowerhorizontal wall that forms a single level planer floor whichsubstantially aligns with an adjacent floor of the travel trailer and anupper horizontal wall that forms a single level planer ceiling whichsubstantially aligns with an adjacent ceiling of the travel trailer.Furthermore, the extendable member is comprised of an outer verticalwall that is adapted to align with an outer wall of the travel trailerwhile the extendable member is placed in the retracted configuration,and a pair of horizontal side walls that join the upper and lowerhorizontal walls and the outer vertical wall together.

According to state of the prior art, the known extendable member istypically mounted on a pair of movable support rail assemblies which arepositioned at a common elevation so as to provide movement of theextendable member with respect to the travel trailer. In particular,each support rail assembly is typically comprised of a fixed memberwhich is fixedly attached to the frame of the travel trailer and asliding member which telescopes from the fixed member and couples withthe extendable member so that the extendable member moves with thesliding member of each support rail assembly. Furthermore, the slidingmember of each of the support rail assemblies is displaced with respectto the fixed member by an actuator assembly that typically compriseseither an electrically powered linear rack and pinion drive mechanism ora hydraulic assembly which moves each of the sliding members so that theextendable member remains in an aligned state with respect to the traveltrailer during the movement process. Moreover, the actuator assemblytypically further includes push button control so that the user canconveniently place the extendable member in either the retracted or thedeployed configuration.

Such an extendable member, when in the retracted configuration, ispositioned so that the outer vertical wall aligns with the side wall ofthe travel trailer and so that the remaining walls, including the lowerhorizontal wall, of the extendable member are positioned within theinterior living space of the travel trailer. Consequently, in theretracted configuration, the housing of the travel trailer forms a moreaerodynamic shape having a width and length that are within the maximumallowed width and length.

However, when the extendable member is placed into the deployedconfiguration, the extendable member extends from the travel trailer sothat the walls of the extendable member extend from the opening of thehousing of the travel trailer so as to align the opening of theextendable member with the opening of the side wall of the traveltrailer. Consequently, the floor of the extendable member extendsthrough the opening of the housing so that the effective living area ofthe travel trailer is increased. Furthermore, the walls of theextendable member effectively become exterior walls of the traveltrailer so that the interior living space of the travel trailer remainsenclosed.

Typically, the largest variety of travel trailers, otherwise known asfifth wheel travel trailers, are manufactured so that the weight of thetrailer is partially supported by a plurality of wheels that extend froma chassis of the trailer and partially supported at the front by thetowing vehicle. In particular, such travel trailers are comprised of araised front section that is adapted to substantially extend over asupporting portion of the towing vehicle and a lowered rear section thatis positioned above the plurality of wheels of the travel trailer.Furthermore, such travel trailers may further be comprised of amidsection that encloses a portion of a plumbing assembly which includesa fresh water storage tank and a waste water storage tank. Thus, typicalfifth wheel travel trailers are typically formed with multiple levelswhich often include a rear section having a lowered floor area, a frontsection having a raised floor area, and a middle section having anintermediately elevated floor area.

In the typical fifth wheel travel trailer, the living space is typicallysegmented along the boundaries between the lower, middle, and uppersections of the travel trailer. In particular, since the rear section isclosest to the ground and since the rear section is the largest of thethree sections, the rear section typically comprises the living room andkitchen that are both accessible from the outside by an entry doorpositioned along a side wall of the housing of the travel trailer thatopens into the lower level. Furthermore, since the middle section oftencomprises the plumbing assembly, the middle section often comprises thebathroom. Moreover, since the front section has the least amount ofheadroom and is the most remote of all three sections, the front sectionoften comprises the bedroom.

In known fifth wheel travel trailers having extendable members, theextendable members are somewhat limited in that they extend from only asingle section of the travel trailer. In particular, known extendablemembers extend from either the rear section, the midsection, or thefront section of the trailer. For example, the typical extendable traveltrailer is comprised of a first extendable member having a single levelfloor that extends from a first opening in the side wall of the traveltrailer in the vicinity of the rear section so as to increase the sizeof the living room. Further, the typical trailer also includes a secondextendable member having a single level floor that extends from a secondopening of the side wall of the travel trailer in the vicinity of thefront section so as to increase the size of the bedroom.

Although such recreational travel trailers provide a significantincrease in living space, the increase is not as great as it could be.In particular, since the known extendable member can only extend from asingle level floor of the recreational travel trailer, the width of theknown extendable member is limited by the dimensions of thecorresponding trailer section. Consequently, such extendable membersprovide a supplemental living space that is sometimes relatively narrowin size, thereby preventing relatively large items from being positionedwithin the extendable member. For example, although the secondextendable member from the aforementioned example enables a bed to bemounted within the supplemental living space formed therein, it is notcapable of including the bathroom along with the bed due to the limitedsize of the front section of the travel trailer and due to the inabilityof known extendable members to encompass multiple floor levels.Furthermore, since structural limitations require adjacent extendablemembers to be spaced sufficiently far apart, it is generally notfeasible to position extendable members adjacent to each other, whereinthe extendable members extend from both the middle and front sections ofthe travel trailer. Thus, it is generally not feasible to position boththe bathroom and the bedroom in one or more extendable members of thetravel trailer. Consequently, either the middle section or the frontsection of the known travel trailer is not fully utilized.

Although special purpose commercial grade mobile structures have beendeveloped with extendable members having multiple floor levels, suchknown commercial structures utilize elaborate and expensive actuatorassemblies for manipulating the extendable member between the retractedconfiguration and the deployed configuration. In particular, in theApplicants previous design of a commercial grade movable concessionbooth having a multilevel extendable member that forms a supplementalspace therein, the actuator assembly comprises an elaborate system ofcables that engage with an elaborate system of pulleys in a relativelycomplicated manner so as to effectively move the relatively largemultilevel extending member between the retracted configuration and thedeployed configuration. However, since the fabrication of such knownactuator assemblies require a substantial amount of manual effort andmaterials, the implementation of such known multilevel extendablemembers in the recreational travel trailer industry is generallyprohibited due to the high costs involved.

Another problem associated with known travel trailers having extendablemembers is that the furnishings that attach to the extendable membersare somewhat limited in size. For example, it is usually not practicalto include a laterally positioned wardrobe having a substantiallyelongated shape as part of the extendable member. In particular, due tothe extended length of the wardrobe and the limited space within thetravel trailer, the wardrobe may inhibit the extendable member frombeing placed in the retracted configuration. Furthermore, even if it ispossible for such an extendable member to be placed in the retractedconfiguration, it is likely that the wardrobe will limit access to theinterior regions of the travel trailer. Consequently, it is often thecase that the wardrobe must be fixedly positioned to a front region ofthe bedroom, thereby limiting the space within the bedroom.

From the foregoing, therefore, it will be appreciated that there is aneed for an improved travel trailer that can be configured with a livingspace that is greater than that of travel trailers known in the art. Inparticular, there is a need for an improved travel trailer thatcomprises an improved extendable member that can be manipulated betweena retracted configuration and a deployed configuration so that theextendable member encompasses multiple sections of the travel trailer soas to increase of the width of the extendable member over that ofextendable members known in the art. To this end, there is a need forthe improved extendable member to include a multilevel floor so as toenable the extendable member to encompass multiple sections of thetravel trailer which could include a bathroom and a bedroom in tandem.

Furthermore, there is a need for the improved extendable member toinclude an actuator assembly that is capable of moving the extendablemember between the retracted and the deployed configurations in a mannerthat does not result in the extendable member becoming immobilized dueto improper alignment between the extendable member and the traveltrailer. Moreover, there is a need for the actuator assembly to berelatively simple so that it can be manufactured in a cost effectivemanner. Additionally, there is a need for the improved extendable memberto include a configurable wardrobe having an elongated shape in anextended configuration and a non-elongated shape in a retractedconfiguration so that the wardrobe can be laterally positioned in thebathroom region of the improved extendable member of the travel trailerin a non-interfering manner so as to free up space in the bedroom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the travel trailer of thepresent invention comprising a frame, a set of wheels attached to theframe to permit rolling movement of the trailer over the ground, and afloor attached to the frame. In particular, the floor defines the innerliving space of the trailer and the floor has a first vertical levelpositioned at a first height above the ground and a second verticallevel positioned at a second height above the ground. The travel trailerfurther comprises a plurality of walls mounted on the floor so as toenclose the inner living space of the trailer and a pop-out assemblyattached to a first wall of the plurality of walls of the trailer, thepop out assembly including a floor having a first and a second level anda plurality of walls mounted at the outer edges of the floor. Inparticular, the first and second level of the floor of the pop-out arerespectively positioned adjacent the first and second vertical levels ofthe floor of the trailer attached to the frame. Furthermore, the pop-outassembly is movable between a first position such that the outer wall ofthe pop-out assembly is positioned adjacent the first wall and a secondposition wherein the pop-out assembly is extended outward from the firstwall.

In one embodiment, the travel trailer further comprises a movementmechanism coupled with the pop-out assembly that moves the pop-outassembly between the first position and the second position. Inparticular, the movement mechanism comprises a first rail attached to afirst end of the pop-out assembly, wherein the first rail is movablebetween a retracted and an extended position. Furthermore, the movementmechanism comprises a second rail attached to a second end of thepop-out assembly, wherein the second rail is movable between a retracedand an extended position. Moreover the movement mechanism furthercomprises a motor which is coupled with the first rail so as to be ableto move the first rail between the retracted and extended position.Furthermore, the movement mechanism further comprises a linkage assemblythat links the first and second rail so as to ensure that the first andsecond rail move between the retracted and the extended positionsimultaneously at the same rate.

In one embodiment, the linkage assembly comprises a first shaft membermounted to the travel trailer so as to extend generally horizontally ata first height above the ground so as to be rotatable, wherein the firstshaft member is attached to the first rail so that rotation of the firstshaft member results in corresponding movement of the first rail betweenthe retracted and the extended position. The linkage assembly furthercomprises a second shaft member mounted to the trailer assembly so as toextend generally at a second height above the ground and so as to berotatable, wherein the second shaft member is attached to the secondrail so that rotation of the second shaft member results in movement ofthe second rail between the retracted and extended position. The linkageassembly further comprises a vertical linkage mechanism that is coupledto the first and second shaft members so that rotational movement of thefirst shaft member results in corresponding rotational movement of thesecond shaft member.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the improved pop-outassembly of the travel trailer of the present improved inventionencompasses two floor levels of the travel trailer, therefore enablingthe pop-out assembly to have a supplemental living space which issignificantly greater than that of pop-out assemblies known in the art.Furthermore, the travel trailer of the present invention utilizes asimple yet effective linkage assembly that can be manufactured at lowcost. These and other objects and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent from the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recreational travel trailer of thepresent invention that comprises a two level extendable member;

FIG. 2A is an overhead plan view of the travel trailer of FIG. 1 showingthe two level extendable member in a retracted configuration;

FIG. 2B is an overhead plan view of the travel trailer of FIG. 1 showingthe two level extendable member in a deployed configuration;

FIG. 3A is an overhead plan view of a two level actuator assembly of thetravel trailer of FIG. 1 that actuates the two level extendable memberbetween the retracted configuration and the deployed configuration;

FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of the actuator assembly of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C is a front elevational view of the actuator assembly of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3D is a side view of a torque transfer assembly of the two levelactuator assembly of FIG. 3A that induces a lower horizontal shaft andan upper horizontal shaft of the two level actuator assembly to rotatein a synchronous manner

FIG. 4A is a side elevational view of the travel trailer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4B is a front elevational view of the travel trailer of FIG. 1;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals referto like parts through out. In particular, FIG. 1 schematicallyillustrates a recreational fifth wheel travel trailer 30 comprised of amain housing 40 and a two level extendable housing 32, wherein theextendable housing 32 is shown extending from an opening 39 of the mainhousing 40 in a deployed configuration. As will be described in greaterdetail below, the two level extendable housing 32 can either be placedin the deployed configuration so as to effectively increase a livingspace 38 of the trailer 30 or be placed in a retracted configuration soas to provide that trailer 30 with a more suitable size and shape forbeing towed on a public road. Furthermore, although the preferredembodiment of FIG. 1 includes the extendable housing 32 that extendsfrom the left side of the trailer 30, it will be appreciated that theextendable housing 32 could be adapted to extend from the right side ofthe trailer 30 in another embodiment.

In this application, the adjectives “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”,“inboard”, “outboard”, “longitudinal”, and “lateral” will be frequentlyused to indicate the spatial relationship between many of the elementsof the trailer 30. In particular, the adjective front is used toindicate that the corresponding element is positioned proximal to afront end of the trailer 30 and the adjective rear is used to indicatethat the corresponding element is positioned proximal to a rear end ofthe trailer 30, wherein the trailer 30 preferably travels on a road withthe front end leading and the rear end lagging. Furthermore, theadjectives left and right are defined with respect to an observer who islooking at the trailer 30 along a direction that extends from the rearend of the trailer 30 to the front end of the trailer and are used toindicate that the corresponding element is either positioned adjacent tothe left side of the trailer 30 or adjacent to the ride side of thetrailer 30. Moreover, the adjective inboard refers to an element beingpositioned proximal to a medial line that extends from the rear end ofthe trailer 30 to the front end of the trailer 30 and the adjectiveoutboard refers to an element being positioned distally from the medialline. Additionally, the adjectives longitudinal and lateral are used toindicate direction, wherein longitudinal refers to a horizontaldirection that extends between the rear and front ends of the trailer30, and wherein lateral refers to a horizontal direction that extendsbetween the left and right sides of the trailer 30.

As generally shown in FIG. 1, the trailer 30 further comprises a frame34 that structurally supports the trailer 30. Essentially, the frame 34forms a multilevel structure and is constructed from conventionalstructural members in a manner known in the art so that the frame 34structurally supports the main housing 40 of the trailer 30. In thepreferred embodiment, the frame 34 is comprised of a rear horizontalplatform 58, a front horizontal platform 65, and a middle horizontalplatform 63 interposed therebetween. However, it will be appreciatedthat, in other embodiments, the frame 34 could be comprised of adifferent number of platforms. Furthermore, the frame 34 comprises arear vertical riser 59 that joins the rear horizontal platform 58 withthe middle horizontal platform 63 so that the platform 63 is elevatedabove the platform 58. Moreover, the frame 34 comprises a front verticalriser 61 that joins the middle horizontal platform 63 with the fronthorizontal platform 65 so that the platform 65 is elevated above theplatform 63.

In the preferred embodiment, the platforms 58, 63, and 65 of the frame34 are formed from steel structural members. However, it will beappreciated that frame 34 could be constructed in alternative manner inother embodiments of the invention. For example, the rear platform, inan alternative embodiment, could be formed of steel members and extendedin length so as to join with a single steel riser that joins with thefront platform formed of steel. Furthermore, the middle platform, inthis alternative embodiment, could comprise a wooden structure thatmounts at the front of the rear platform.

As generally shown in FIG. 1, the main housing 40 is mounted above theframe 34 and is essentially formed of a plurality of planer walls thatare joined together in a known manner and mounted to the frame 40 in aknown manner so as to form the space 38 above a plurality of floorlevels. In particular, the main housing 40 includes a front verticalwall 42, a rear vertical wall 44, a left side or drivers side verticalwall 46, a right side or passenger side vertical wall 50, and anoverhead vertical wall 52 that all join together in a mutuallyorthogonal manner to form a substantially rectangular shaped enclosurehaving the living space 38 formed therein. Furthermore, the main housing40 is further comprised of a rear lower horizontal wall 55, a middlelower horizontal wall 57, and an front lower horizontal wall 68 that aremounted directly above the rear platform 58, middle platform 63, andfront platform 65, respectively, of the frame 34.

Moreover, the upper surfaces of the rear, middle, and front horizontalwalls 55, 57, and 68 respectively form a rear floor 56, a middle floor62, and a front floor 66. In particular, the middle floor 62 is elevatedabove the rear floor 56 and separated from the rear floor 56 by a rearstep 53 that rises from the rear floor to the middle floor. Furthermore,the front floor 66 is elevated above the middle floor 62 and separatedfrom the middle floor 62 by a front step 69 that rises from the middlefloor 62 to the front floor 66. Consequently, the living space 38 formedwithin the main housing 40 is segmented into a rear space 54 thatencompasses the rear floor 56, a middle space 60 that encompasses themiddle floor 62, and a front space 64 that encompasses the front floor66.

As generally shown in FIG. 1, the trailer 30 further comprises a knownwheel assembly 36 having a plurality of rotatable wheels that attachesto the frame so as to enable the trailer 30 to be transported on a road.Furthermore, the trailer 30 further comprises a known male hitchassembly 37 at the front of the trailer 30 that couples with a knownfemale hitch assembly of a towing vehicle so that the trailer 30 can betowed by the towing vehicle.

As generally shown in FIG. 1, the two level extendable housing 32 thatis adapted to extend from the main housing 40 of the trailer 30 isformed of a plurality of walls that join together to form a supplementalliving space 35 therein. In particular, the housing 32 comprises anoutboard vertical wall 84, an overhead horizontal wall 86, a frontlateral vertical wall 88, a rear lateral vertical wall 90, a rear lowerhorizontal wall 92 having a lower floor 98 formed thereon, a front lowerhorizontal wall 94 having an upper floor 102 formed thereon, and amiddle lateral vertical wall 96 that collectively join together in asubstantially orthogonal manner. Specifically, the middle vertical wall96 vertically offsets the rear lower horizontal wall 92 from the frontlower horizontal wall 94 so that the upper floor 102 is elevated abovethe lower floor 98. Furthermore, the extendable housing 32 includes aninboard opening 85 that allows access to the supplemental living space35, wherein the opening 85 is positioned opposite of the outboardvertical wall 84. Moreover, the supplemental living space 35 comprises alower space 41 that encompasses the lower floor 98 and an upper space 43that encompasses the upper floor 102 of the extendable housing 32. Aswill be described in greater detail below, the lower space 41, in thepreferred embodiment, forms a part of a bathroom area 73 and the upperspace 43 forms a part of a sleeping area 77 of the trailer 30.

As generally shown in FIG. 1, the main housing 40 of the trailer 30includes the opening 39 that enables the two level extendable housing 32to extend from the main housing 40. In particular, the opening 39 isformed with a perimeter 45 having a shape that enables the two levelextendable housing 32 to extend from the opening 39 when the extendablehousing 32 is placed into the deployed configuration. Moreover, theopening 39 is formed with a shape that provides a substantially airtightseal when the extendable housing 32 is placed in the retractedconfiguration. Furthermore, the opening 39 is positioned adjacent to themiddle and front spaces 60 and 64 of the trailer 30 so as to allow theextendable housing to extend into and out of the middle and front spaces60 and 64 of the trailer 30.

As generally shown in FIG. 1, the two level extendable housing 32, inthe deployed configuration, extends through the opening 39 of the mainhousing 40 along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to theleft side vertical wall 46 so that the opening 85 of the extendablehousing 32 substantially aligns with the opening 39 of the main housing40 so as to provide the trailer 30 with an expanded interior middlespace 70 and an expanded interior front space 71. In particular, theextendable housing 32 is positioned so that the middle floor 62 of themain housing 40 extends into the lower floor 98 of the extendablehousing 32 so as to combine the middle space 60 of the main housing 40with the lower space 41 of the extendable housing 32 into the expandedmiddle space 70. Furthermore, the extendable housing 32 is positioned sothat the front floor 66 of the main housing 40 extends into the upperfloor 102 of the extendable housing 32 so as to combine the front space64 of the main housing 40 with the upper space 43 of the extendablehousing 32 into the expanded front space 71.

As schematically shown in FIG. 1, the two level extendable housing 32 iscoupled to an actuator assembly 33 that moves the two level housing 32between the deployed configuration and the retracted configuration. Inthe preferred embodiment, the actuator assembly 33 is comprised of arear horizontal slidable rail 106 a having a rear upwardly extendingvertical bracket 104 a at an outboard end of the rail 106 a and a frontslidable rail 106 b having a front upwardly extending vertical bracket104 b at an outboard end of the rail 106 b, wherein the rear and frontbrackets 104 a and 104 b attach to the extendable housing 32 so thatmovement of the rails 106 a and 106 b produce a corresponding movementof the extendable housing 32 between the extended and retractedpositions.

As schematically shown in FIG. 1, the rails 106 a and 106 b laterallyextend from the frame 40 along different horizontal planes. Inparticular, the rail 106 a extends from the middle platform 63 of theframe 34 and is positioned beneath the rear horizontal wall 92 of theextendable housing 32 so that the rear bracket 104 a can attach to theextendable housing 32 in a manner which will be described in greaterdetail below. Similarly, the rail 106 b extends from the front platform65 of the frame 34 and is positioned beneath the front horizontal wall94 of the extendable housing 32 so that the front bracket 104 b canattach to the extendable housing 32. As will be described in greaterdetail below in connection with FIGS. 3A-3B, the actuator assembly 33 isfurther comprised of a two level drive assembly 47 that moves thevertically offset rails 106 a and 106 b in a lateral manner so as tomove the extendable housing 32 between the deployed configuration andthe retracted configuration.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 2A and 2B which provide a detailedplan view of the living space 38 within the trailer 30 of FIG. 1. Inparticular, FIG. 2A illustrates the trailer 30 with the extendablehousing 32 in the retracted configuration and FIG. 2B illustrates thetrailer 30 with the extendable housing 32 in the deployed configuration.Moreover, in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the front of the trailer 30 is shown onthe right hand side of the page and the rear of the trailer 30 is shownin the left hand side of the page.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the extendable housing 32, in the retractedconfiguration, extends into the main housing 40 so that the extendablehousing 32 is substantially positioned within the middle and frontspaces 60 and 64 of the living space 38 of the trailer 30. Consequently,the outboard vertical wall 84 of the extendable housing 32 is alignedwith the opening 39 of the main housing 40 so as to form the trailer 30with a more aerodynamic shape and so as to reduce the effective width ofthe trailer 30 while the trailer is being towed.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the extendable housing 32, in the deployedconfiguration, extends out of the opening 39 of the left vertical sidewall 46 of the main housing 40 so that the opening 85 of the extendablehousing 32 aligns with the opening 39 of the main housing 40. Thus, thelower and upper spaces 41 and 43 of the supplemental living space 35 ofthe extendable housing 32 combine with the middle and front spaces 60and 64 of the living space 38 of the housing 40 to form the expandedmiddle and front spaces 70 and 71 of the trailer 30.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the extendable housing 32 further comprisesa lip 81 that outwardly extends from the inboard edges of the front,overhead, and rear walls 88, 86, and 90 of the extendable housing 32 ina substantially orthogonal manner. In particular, when the extendablehousing 32 is placed in the deployed configuration of FIG. 2B, the lip81 flushly contacts an inner surface 83 of the main housing 40 adjacentthe opening 39 of the left side vertical wall 46 of the main housing 40so as to partially support the extendable housing 32 in the deployedconfiguration. As will be described below in connection to FIG. 4B, theactuator assembly 33 provides additional support to the extendablehousing 32 in the extended position.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the preferred embodiment of the trailer 30further comprises a conventional single level extendable housing 121having a deployed configuration and a storage configuration. Inparticular, the single level extendable housing 121, when in thedeployed configuration as shown in FIG. 1B, extends through the mainhousing 40 so as to increase the rear space of the trailer 30.Furthermore, the single level extendable housing 121, when in theretracted configuration as shown in FIG. 1A, is substantially positionedwithin the main housing 40 so as to provide the trailer 30 with a shapeand size that is more suitable for traveling.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the rear space 54 of the trailer 30includes a living room area 48 and a kitchen area 49. In particular, theliving room area 48 includes a plurality of recliner chairs 120, ahide-a-bed 122, a set of dining furniture 124, an entertainment center128 for storing a television, and an entry area 129 adjacent an entrydoor 126 which is positioned within the right side vertical wall 50 ofthe main housing 40. Moreover, the hide-a-bed 122 and the set of diningfurniture 124 are positioned within the single level extendable housing121 so that the hide-a-bed 122 and the set of dining furniture 124 aredisplaced away from the kitchen area 49 when the single level extendablehousing 121 is placed into the deployed configuration. Furthermore, thekitchen area 49 includes a cabinet assembly 130 that comprises a kitchencounter 131, a stove 132, a food pantry 134, a refrigerator 136, akitchen sink 135, and a step 140 that provides easy access to theelevated expanded middle space 70 of the trailer 30.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the expanded middle space 70 comprises a bathroomarea 73 and a dressing room area 75. In particular, the bathroom area 73includes a toilet closet 144, a shower 146, and a bathroom sink 147.Furthermore, the dressing room area 75 includes a movable cabinet suchas a foldable wardrobe assembly 151 having a deployed configuration anda retracted configuration that will be described in greater detail belowand a storage cabinet 154. Moreover, the foldable wardrobe assembly 151,the storage cabinet 154, and the bathroom sink 147 are attached to thetwo level extendable housing 32 within the lower space 41 of the housing32 so that the assembly 151, cabinet 154 and sink 147 are displaced awayfrom the toilet closet 144 and shower 146 when the housing 32 is placedinto the deployed configuration (FIG. 2B). To accommodate movement ofthe sink 147 with respect to the frame 34, the sink 147 includes a knownflexible hose assembly that communicates a faucet of the sink 147 with afresh water reservoir and communicates a drain of the sink 147 with awaste water reservoir in a manner known in the art.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the foldable wardrobe assembly 151comprises a stationary cabinet 148 that is fixedly mounted to the twolevel extendable housing 32 within the lower space 41 of the housing 32,and a movable cabinet 150 which is pivotally mounted to the stationarycabinet by way of a hinge 149 so that the rotational axis of the hinge149 is aligned in a vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 2B, thestationary cabinet 148 includes a front side 137 and an inboard side 138and the movable cabinet 150 includes a front side 139, an outboard side141, an inboard side 143, and a rear side 142, wherein the front andrear sides 139 and 142 are wider than the inboard and outboard sides 141and 143. Furthermore, the hinge 149 couples with the inboard side 138 ofthe stationary cabinet 148 and further couples with the movable cabinet150 along a corner 145 that connects the front side 139 with theoutboard side 141 of the movable cabinet 150.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the foldable wardrobe assembly 151 is placed intothe retracted configuration by rotating the movable cabinet 150 aboutthe hinge 149 so that the wider front side 139 of the movable cabinet150 is substantially aligned with the inboard side 138 of the stationarycabinet 148. As a result, the extendable housing 32 is able to be placedin the retracted configuration so that the rear side 142 of the movablecabinet 150 is flushly positioned adjacent the toilet closet 144.

As shown in FIG. 2B, when the extendable housing 32 is placed in thedeployed configuration, a space is created with enables the foldablewardrobe assembly 151 to be placed into the deployed configuration. Inparticular, the movable cabinet 150 is rotated about the hinge 149 sothat the outboard side 141 of the movable cabinet 150 substantiallyaligns with the inboard side 138 of the stationary cabinet 148. Thus thefoldable wardrobe assembly 151 forms an elongated shape which is similarto that of known wardrobes. Moreover, the fully deployed extendablehousing 32 provides sufficient room between the movable cabinet 150 andthe toilet closet 144 so that a person can walk therebetween and so thata person can access the toilet closet 144.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the expanded front space 71 comprises a sleepingarea 77 and a study area 79. In particular, the sleeping area 77includes a queen sized bed 166 and an access space 165 adjacent thefront vertical wall 42 of the main housing 40 that enables individualsto access the bed 166 in a convenient manner. Furthermore, the studyarea 79 includes a linen closet 158, a table 163, a chair 162, and acorner cabinet 164.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the bed 166 is fixedly attached to theextendable housing 32 so that the bed 166 extends through the opening 39of the main housing 40 when the extendable housing 32 is placed in thedeployed configuration. Furthermore, the inboard end of the bed 166 ispositioned under the linen closet 158 and table 163 when the extendablehousing 32 is placed in the retracted configuration. Moreover, the bed166 extends away from the linen closet 158, the table 163, and thecorner cabinet 164 when the extendable housing 32 is placed in thedeployed configuration so as to form a space therebetween that allowsindividuals to access the sleeping area 77 and study area 79.

It will be appreciated that the two level extendable housing 32 providesthe trailer 30 with a more luxurious atmosphere. In particular, theexpanded middle space 70 of the trailer 30 which results from theextendable housing 32 being placed in the deployed configurationprovides ample room for individuals to conveniently utilize the bathroomand dressing areas 73 and 75. In contrast, travel trailers known in theart, including those having known extendable housings, typicallycomprise relatively small bathroom and dressing areas.

It will also be appreciated that the enlarged middle space 70 of thetrailer 30 combined with the retractable nature of the foldable wardrobeassembly 151 enables the assembly 151 to be positioned outside from thesleeping area 77. Consequently, the sleeping area 77 is able to includethe access space 165 so that individuals can conveniently access the bed166. In contrast, travel trailers known in the art that utilizeextendable housings typically position a wardrobe adjacent a front wallof the trailer adjacent to a sleeping area so that the space within thesleeping area is substantially reduced.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 3A-FIG. 3D which provide detailedillustrations of the actuator assembly 33 used to move the extendablehousing 32. In particular, FIG. 3A is an overhead plan view of theactuator assembly 33, wherein the left side of FIG. 3A corresponds tothe rear end of the actuator assembly 33 and the right side of FIG. 3Acorresponds to the front end of the actuator assembly 33. Furthermore,FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of the actuator assembly 33, whereinthe left side of FIG. 3B corresponds to the rear end of the actuatorassembly 33 and the right side of FIG. 3B defines the front end of theactuator assembly 33. Moreover, FIG. 3C is a front elevational view ofthe actuator assembly 33. Additionally, FIG. 3D is a side elevationalview of a torque transfer assembly 172 of the actuator assembly 33 fromthe perspective of an observer who is looking along the elongated axisof a rear horizontal shaft 176 a.

As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, the actuator assembly 33 is comprised of a rearrail assembly 170 a, a front rail assembly 170 b, and a drive assembly171 interposed therebetween, wherein the front rail assembly 170 b iselevated above the rear rail assembly 170 a. As best shown in FIGS. 3Aand 3C, the rear rail assembly 170 is comprised of a rear fixed supportguide 108 a and the rear horizontal slidable rail 106 a that extendsfrom the support guide 108 a in a telescoping manner. Specifically, therail 106 a is adapted to slidably extend from an elongated channelformed within the support guide 108 a so that the motion of the rail 106a is restricted to be along the elongated channel of the support guide108 a. Furthermore, a substantial portion of the slidable rail 106 awill always remain within the support guide 108 a so as to enable therail 106 a to function as a cantilever as will be described in greaterdetail below.

As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, the front rail assembly 170 b is substantiallysimilar to the rear rail assembly 170 a and is positioned so as to beelevated above the rear rail assembly 170 a. As best shown in FIGS. 3Aand 3C, the front rail assembly 170 b is comprised of a front fixedsupport guide 108 b and the front horizontal slidable rail 106 b thatextends from the support guide 108 b in a telescoping manner.Specifically, the rail 106 b is adapted to slidably extend from anelongated channel formed within the support guide 108 b so that themotion of the rail 106 b is restricted to be along the elongated channelof the support guide 108 b. Furthermore, a substantial portion of theslidable rail 106 b will always remain within the support guide 108 b soas to enable the rail 106 b to function as a cantilever as will bedescribed in greater detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3C, the front and rear rail assemblies 170 aand 170 b are preferably positioned so that the support guides 108 a and108 b are aligned in a parallel manner and so that the outboard ends ofthe support guides 108 a and 108 b are both positioned in a common planewhich is perpendicular to the elongated axis of both the support guides108 a and 108 b. Furthermore, the rear slidable rail 106 a is adaptedwith a plurality of uniformly spaced rack groves 173 a along a lowersurface of the rail 106 a that enable the slidable rail 106 a to form aportion of a rear rack and pinion assembly 182 a. Similarly, the frontslidable rail 106 b is adapted with a plurality of uniformly spaced rackgroves 173 b along a lower surface of the rail 106 b that aresubstantially similar to the groves 173 a of the rear rail 106 a thatenable the slidable rail 106 b to form a portion of a front rack andpinion assembly 182 b that is substantially similar to the rear rack andpinion assembly 182 a.

As schematically shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the drive assembly 171 of theactuator assembly 33 is comprised of a rear pinion 175 a, a rearhorizontal shaft 176 a, the torque transfer assembly 172, a fronthorizontal shaft 176 b, a front pinion 175 b which is substantiallysimilar to the rear pinion 175 a, and an electric motor 183. Inparticular, the rear pinion 175 a is fixedly attached at a rear end ofthe rear horizontal shaft 176 a and the front pinion 175 b is fixedlyattached at a front end of the front horizontal shaft 176 b.Furthermore, the rear and front horizontal shafts 176 a and 176 b arerotatably mounted so that the rotational axes of the front and rearshaft 176 a are parallel to each other and both lie in a substantiallycommon vertical plane. Moreover, the rear horizontal shaft 176 a ispositioned so that the rear pinion 175 a engages with the plurality ofrack grooves 173 a of the rear slidable rail 106 a so as to form therear rack and pinion assembly 182 a. Additionally, the front horizontalshaft 176 b is positioned so that the front pinion 175 b engages withthe plurality of rack grooves 173 b of the front slidable rail 106 b soas to form the front rack and pinion assembly 182 b.

As schematically shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, torque transfer assembly 172couples the rear shaft 176 a with the front shaft 176 b so that a torqueapplied by the rear shaft 176 a will be transferred to the front shaft176 b. In particular, the front end of the rear shaft 176 a attaches toa descending portion of the torque transfer assembly 172 and a rear endof the front shaft 176 b attaches to an ascending portion of the torquetransfer assembly 172.

As shown in FIG. 3D, the preferred embodiment of the torque transferassembly 172 comprises a lower gear 177 a, an upper gear 177 b, and aflexible chain 178 having a closed end. In particular, the front end ofthe rear shaft 176 a is fixedly attached to the lower gear 177 a in aconventional manner and the rear end of the front shaft 176 b is fixedlyattached to the upper gear 177 b in a conventional manner. Furthermore,the lower and upper gears 177 a and 177 b are aligned in a commonvertical plane and the appropriately sized chain 178 is positioned tosurround the lower and upper gears 177 a and 177 b so that the chain 178engages with both the lower and upper gears 177 a and 177 b.Consequently, when a torque is applied by the rear shaft 176 a onto thelower gear 177 a, the tension of the chain 178 will increase in anasymmetrical manner so that a torque is transferred to the upper gear177 b and front shaft 176 b. Moreover, the diameters of the lower andupper gears 177 a and 177 b are substantially equal so that the rearshaft 176 a and the front shaft 176 b always have the same angularvelocity.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the electric motor 183 of the driveassembly 171 of the actuator assembly 33 couples with the rear shaft 176a of the drive assembly 171 in a well known manner so as to enable theelectric motor 183 to activate the drive assembly 171. In particular,when electric current is passed through the electric motor 183, theelectric motor 183 generates a torque which causes the rear and frontshafts 176 a and 176 b to rotate at a substantially equal angularvelocity. Consequently, the rear and front rack and pinion assemblies182 a and 182 b will operate in a substantially identical manner so thatthe rear and front slidable rails 106 a and 106 b will both travel withthe same linear velocity.

It will be appreciated that the actuator assembly 33 provides aneffective means for moving the extendable housing 32. In particular, theelectric motor 183 couples with the rear shaft 176 a, thereby providingthe rear shaft 176 a with a torque that induces the rear shaft 176 a andthe rear pinion 175 a into a state of rotation. Thus, since the rearpinion 175 a is positioned so as to engage the rack grooves 173 a of therear slidable rail 106 a, the rotating rear pinion 175 a will induce theslidable rail 106 a to move in a lateral manner.

Furthermore, the rear shaft 176 a will provide the torque transferassembly 172 with a torque so as to rotate the front shaft 176 b. Inparticular, since the rear shaft 176 a is coupled with the lower gear177 a of the torque transfer assembly 172, the rear shaft 176 a appliesa torque onto the lower gear 177 a, thereby causing the chain 178 of thetorque transfer assembly 172 to experience an asymmetrical tension.Thus, the chain 178 applies a torque onto the upper gear 177 b whichtransfers the torque to the front shaft 176 b, thereby inducing theshaft 176 b and, consequently, the front pinion 175 b into a state ofrotation. Moreover, since the front and rear rack and pinion assemblies182 a and 182 b are substantially identical to each other and since thelower and upper gears 177 a and 177 b are substantially identical toeach other, the rotating front pinion 175 b will induce the frontslidable rail 106 b into a state of motion that is substantiallyidentical to the state of motion of the rear slidable rail 106 a.

Consequently, since the rear and front slidable rails 106 a and 106 bare coupled with the extendable housing 32 in a manner that will bedescribed in greater detail below, the synchronous movement of the rearand front slidable rails 106 a and 106 b will move the extendablehousing 32 in an aligned manner. In particular, the synchronous movementof the rear and front slidable rails 106 a and 106 b will inducemovement of the extendable housing so that the outboard wall 54 of theextendable housing 32 will tend to align with a plane which is parallelto the plane of the left side wall 46 of the main housing 40. Therefore,it is unlikely that the extendable housing 32 will become immobilizedwith respect to the frame 34 of the trailer 30 due to improper alignmentbetween the extendable housing 32 and the main housing 40.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 4A and 4B which illustrate therecreational travel trailer 30 in greater detail. In particular, FIG. 4Ais a side elevational view of the trailer 30 of FIG. 1. Furthermore,FIG. 4B is a front elevational view of the trailer 30 of FIG. 1, whereinthe extendable housing 32 is illustrated in the deployed configuration.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the actuator assembly 33 is mounted within theframe 34 of the trailer 30. In particular, the rear rail assembly 170 a,the rear rack and pinion assembly 182 a, and the rear horizontal shaft176 a of the actuator assembly 33 are positioned within the middleplatform 63 of the frame 34 so that the rear horizontal shaft 176 a ispositioned in a substantially longitudinal manner and so that the rearrail assembly 170 a is positioned in a lateral manner. Furthermore, thetorque transfer assembly 172 of the actuator assembly 33 is positionedwithin the front vertical riser 61 of the frame 34. Moreover, the fronthorizontal shaft 176 b, the front rack and pinion assembly 182 b, andthe front rail assembly 170 b of the actuator assembly 33 are positionedwithin the front platform 65 of the frame 34 so that the fronthorizontal shaft 176 b is positioned in a substantially longitudinalmanner and so that the front rail assembly 170 b is positioned in alateral manner.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the rear and front horizontal slidable rails 106 aand 106 b of the actuator assembly 33, which are used to move theextendable housing 32 between the retracted and deployed configurations,are adapted to extend from the frame 34 of the trailer 30. Inparticular, the frame 34 includes a rear opening 107 a at an outboardedge of the middle platform 63 adjacent the rear end of the middleplatform 63 that enables the rear slidable rail 106 a of the rear railassembly 170 a to extend from the frame 34 in a lateral manner.Similarly, the frame 34 includes a front opening 107 b at an outboardedge of the front platform 65 adjacent the front end of the frontplatform 65 that enables the front slidable rail 106 b of the front railassembly 170 b to extend from the frame 34 in a lateral manner.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the actuator assembly 33 is positionedunderneath the extendable housing 32 and the middle and front lowerhorizontal walls 57 and 68 of the trailer 30. In particular, the rearrail assembly 170 a is positioned beneath the rear lower wall 92 of theextendable housing 32 and the front rail assembly 170 b is positionedbeneath the front lower wall 94 of the extendable housing 32. As will bedescribed in greater detail below, the slidable rails 106 a and 106 brespectively couple with the rear lower wall 92 and the front lower wall94 so as to enable the actuator assembly 33 to move the extendablehousing 32 between the retracted and deployed configurations.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the lower floor 98 of the extendable housing 32 isvertically aligned with the middle floor 62 of the main housing 40 in asubstantial manner and is adapted to travel across the middle floor 62during movement of the extendable housing in a non-sliding manner. Inthe preferred embodiment, a known roller assembly 110 having a lowprofile is mounted to a lower surface 111 of the lower horizontal wall92 of the extendable housing 32 adjacent the inboard edge of the lowerhorizontal wall 92 so as to be interposed between the lower surface 111of the lower horizontal wall 92 and the middle floor 62 of the mainhousing 40 in a flush manner. Thus, when the extendable housing 32 ismoved in a lateral manner, the roller assembly 110 will roll across themiddle floor 62 so that the extendable housing 32 can be moved with arelatively small lateral force.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the preferred embodiment of the trailer 30comprises the upper floor 102 of the extendable housing 32 that issubstantially elevated above the front floor 66 of the main housing 40.In particular, this enables the outboard end of the bed 166 to bepositioned directly on the upper floor 102 so that the inboard end ofthe bed 166 is sufficiently elevated above the front floor 66 of themain housing 40 so as to enable individuals to conveniently access thebed 166. However, it will be appreciated that, in another embodiment,the upper floor 102 of the extendable housing 32 could be adapted toalign with the upper floor 66 of the main housing 40.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the inboard end of the bed 166 is supported by aninboard bed support 112 having a known roller assembly 113. Inparticular, the inboard bed support 112 is positioned beneath theinboard end of the bed so as to support the bed 166 as well asindividuals who are sleeping on the bed 166. Furthermore, the rollerassembly 113 is attached to a lower surface of the inboard bed support112 so that the roller assembly 113 is flushly interposed between theinboard bed support 112 and the front floor 66 of the main housing 40.Thus, when the bed 166 is moved along with the extendable housing 32,the roller assembly 113 of the inboard bed support 112 will roll alongthe front floor 66 of the main housing 40 so as to reduce the lateralforce that is required to move the extendable housing 32.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the rear and front rail assemblies 170 a and 170 bof the actuator assembly 33 are laterally mounted to the frame 34 of thetrailer 30. In particular, the rear support guide 108 a of the rear railassembly 170 a is laterally mounted within the middle platform 63 sothat the slidable rail 106 a can extend from the trailer 30 in a lateralmanner and be supported by the rear support guide 108 a. Furthermore,the front support guide 108 b of the front rail assembly 170 b islaterally mounted within the front platform 65 so that the slidable rail106 b can extend from the trailer 30 in a lateral manner and besupported by the front support guide 108 b.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the slidable rails 106 a and 106 b engage with theextendable housing 32 so that they can maneuver and support theextendable housing 32. In particular, the rear and front slidable rails106 a and 106 b laterally extends from the frame 34 of the trailer 30 sothat the outboard ends of the rails 106 a and 106 b are substantiallyadjacent the outboard vertical wall 84 of the extendable housing 32.Furthermore, the upwardly extending bracket 104a connects the outboardend of the rear rail 106 a with the rear lower horizontal wall 92 of theextendable housing 32 so that the rear rail assembly 170 a can move theextending housing 32 and so that the rear slidable rail 106 a of therear rail assembly 170 a can cantilever the extendable housing 32 in thedeployed configuration. Moreover, the upwardly extending bracket 104 battaches the outboard end of the front rail 106 b with the front lowerhorizontal wall 94 of the extendable housing 32 so that the front railassembly 170 b can move the extending housing 32 and so that the frontslidable rail 106 b of the front rail assembly 170 b can cantilever theextendable housing 32 in the deployed configuration.

It will be appreciated that the two level extendable housing 32 of thetrailer 30 extends across two floor levels of the trailer 30. Thus, thesupplemental living space 35 formed within the extendable housing 32 issubstantially greater than the supplemental living space of similarlypositioned extendable housings of travel trailers known in the art.Consequently, the extendable housing 32 is able to encompass thebathroom area 73 as well as the sleeping area 77, so as to provide bothof these areas with greater space.

It will also be appreciated that the actuator assembly 33 enables theextendable housing 32 to be maneuvered between the deployed andretracted configurations in a desirable manner. In particular, thevertically offset slidable rails 106 a and 106 b are adapted torespectively move the rear and front ends of the extendable housing 32in a synchronous manner so as to maintain the extendable housing 32 inan aligned state with respect to the main housing 40.

It will also be appreciated that the actuator assembly can bemanufactured at a relatively low cost. In particular, the components ofthe actuator assembly 33 can be readily fabricated and installed withinthe frame 34 of the trailer 32 using relatively simple installationtechniques known in the art.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has shown,described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of theinvention as applied to this embodiment, it will be understood thatvarious omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the detailof the device illustrated may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the present invention.Consequently, the scope of the invention should not be limited to theforegoing description, but should be defined by the appending claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A travel trailer comprising: a frame; a set of wheels attached to the frame to permit rolling movement of the trailer over the ground; a floor attached to the frame, wherein the floor defines an inner living space of the trailer and wherein the floor has a first vertical level positioned at a first height above the ground and a second level positioned at a second height above the ground; a plurality of walls mounted on the floor so as to enclose the inner living space of the trailer and define a main housing; a pop-out assembly attached to a first wall of the plurality of walls of the trailer, the pop-out assembly including a floor having a first level and a second level and a plurality of walls mounted at outer edges of the floor, wherein the first and second levels of the floor of the pop-out are respectively positioned adjacent the first and second vertical levels of the floor of the trailer attached to the frame wherein the pop-out assembly is movable between a first position such that an outer wall of the plurality of walls of the pop-out assembly is positioned adjacent the first wall and a second position wherein the pop-out assembly is extended outward from the first wall; a movement mechanism coupled with the pop-out assembly so as to be able to move the pop-out assembly between the first position and the second position, wherein the movement mechanism comprises a first rail attached to a first section of the pop-out assembly, wherein the first rail is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, a second rail attached to a second section of the pop-out assembly, wherein the second rail is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, a linkage assembly that links the first and second rails so as to ensure that the first and second rails move between the retracted position and the extended position simultaneously at the same rate so as to maintain the pop-out assembly in an aligned state with respect to the main housing.
 2. The travel trailer of claim 1, wherein the movement mechanism is comprised of at least one lineal actuator attached to the pop out assembly that is movable between a retracted position and an extended position.
 3. The travel trailer of claim 2, wherein the movement mechanism further comprises a means for moving the linear actuator between the retracted position and the extended position.
 4. The travel trailer of claim 3, wherein the movement mechanism comprises: a motor which is coupled with the first rail so as to be able to move the first rail between the retracted and extended position.
 5. The travel trailer of claim 4, wherein a linkage assembly comprises: a first shaft member mounted to the pop-out assembly so as to extend generally horizontally at a first height above the ground so as to be rotatable wherein the first shaft member is attached to the first rail so that rotation of the first shaft member results in corresponding movement of the first rail between the retracted position and the extended position; and a second shaft member mounted to the pop-out assembly so as to extend generally at a second height above the ground and so as to be rotatable wherein the second shaft member is attached to the second rail so that rotation of the second shaft member results in movement of the second rail between the retracted and extended position; a vertical linkage mechanism that is coupled to the first and second shaft members so that rotational movement of the first shaft member results in corresponding rotational movement of the second shaft member.
 6. The travel trailer of claim 5, wherein the vertical linkage mechanism is comprised of a first sprocket attached to the first shaft member and a second sprocket attached to the end of the second shaft member and a continuous chain that is engaged with the first and second sprocket members so that rotation of the first sprocket member results in rotation of the second sprocket member.
 7. The travel trailer of claim 1, wherein the travel trailer includes a main level, a first elevated level corresponding to the first vertical level and a second vertical level.
 8. The travel trailer of claim 7, wherein the first elevated level comprises a bathroom and the first floor of the pop-out assembly expands floor area of the bathroom.
 9. The travel trailer of claim 8, wherein the second elevated level comprises a bedroom having a bed positioned therein, wherein the bed is mounted so that a portion of the bed is positioned within the pop-out assembly so that when the pop-out assembly is in the second position the portion of the bed is positioned outside of the first wall of the plurality of walls.
 10. The travel trailer of claim 1, further comprising a foldable wardrobe assembly that is positioned within the pop-out assembly so that the foldable wardrobe assembly moves with the pop-out assembly, wherein the foldable wardrobe assembly is foldable between a first orientation that enables the pop-out assembly to be moved into the first position and a second orientation when the pop-out assembly is moved into the second position wherein the width of the wardrobe assembly in the second orientation is greater than the width of the wardrobe assembly in the first orientation.
 11. The travel trailer of claim 10, wherein the foldable wardrobe comprises: a fixed cabinet attached to the pop-out assembly; a hinge attached to a first surface of the fixed cabinet; a pivoting cabinet attached to the hinge at a first surface of the pivoting cabinet so that the pivoting cabinet can be pivoted about the hinge.
 12. The travel trailer of claim 11, wherein the first surface of the pivoting cabinet is oriented so as to be substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the fixed cabinet when the foldable wardrobe assembly is placed into the first orientation, and wherein the first surface of the pivoting cabinet is oriented so as to be substantially parallel with the first surface of the fixed cabinet when the foldable wardrobe assembly is placed into the second orientation.
 13. A travel trailer comprising: a frame; a plurality of wheels attached to the frame to permit rolling movement of the trailer over the ground; a multilevel floor attached to the frame, wherein the multilevel floor defines an inner living space of the trailer and wherein the multilevel floor includes a first level positioned at a first height above the plurality of wheels and a second level positioned at a second height above the plurality of wheels; a main housing comprised of a plurality of walls mounted above the frame that enclose the inner living space of the trailer; an extendable housing attached to a first wall of the plurality of walls of the trailer, the extendable housing including a multilevel floor having a first level and a second levels and a plurality of walls mounted at outer edges of the floor, wherein the first and second levels of the multilevel floor of the extendable housing are respectively positioned adjacent the first and second levels of the multilevel floor of the trailer attached to the frame, wherein the extendable housing is movable between a retracted configuration such that an outer wall of the plurality of walls of the extendable housing is positioned adjacent the first wall and a deployed configuration wherein the extendable housing is extended outward from the first wall; and an actuator assembly coupled with the extendable housing so as to be able to move the extendable housing between the retracted configuration and the deployed configuration, wherein the actuator assembly comprises a first rail attached to a first end of the extendable housing, wherein the first rail is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, a second rail attached to a second end of the extendable housing, wherein the second rail is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, a drive assembly that links the first and second rails so as to ensure that the first and second rails move between the retracted position and the extended position simultaneously at the same rate so as to maintain the extendable housing in an aligned state with respect to the main housing.
 14. The travel trailer of claim 13, wherein an actuator assembly comprises: a motor which is coupled with a drive assembly so as to be able to move the first rail and the second rail between the retracted and extended position.
 15. The travel trailer of claim 14, wherein the drive assembly comprises: a first shaft member mounted to the travel trailer so as to extend generally horizontally at a first height above the ground so as to be rotatable, wherein the first shaft member is coupled to the first rail so that rotation of the first shaft member results in corresponding movement of the first rail between the retracted and the extended position; a second shaft member mounted to the travel trailer so as to extend generally at a second height above the ground and so as to be rotatable wherein the second shaft member is attached to the second rail so that rotation of the second shaft member results in movement of the second rail between the retracted and extended position; and a torque transfer assembly that is coupled to the first and second shaft members so that rotational movement of the first shaft member results in corresponding rotational movement of the second shaft member.
 16. The travel trailer of claim 14, wherein the torque transfer assembly is comprised of a first gear attached to the first shaft member and a second gear attached to the end of the second shaft member and a continuous chain that is engaged with the first and second gears so that rotation of the first gear results in rotation of the second gear.
 17. The travel trailer of claim 13, wherein the multilevel floor includes a main level, wherein the first level and the second level are elevated above the main level.
 18. The travel trailer of claim 17, wherein the first level comprises a bathroom and a first floor of the extendable housing expands floor area of the bathroom.
 19. The travel trailer of claim 18, wherein the second level comprises a bedroom having a bed positioned therein, wherein the bed is mounted so that a portion of the bed is positioned within the extendable housing so that when the extendable housing is in the second position, the portion of the bed is positioned outside of the first wall of the plurality of walls of the trailer.
 20. The travel trailer of claim 13, further comprising a foldable wardrobe assembly having a width wherein the foldable wardrobe assembly is positioned within the extendable housing so that the foldable wardrobe assembly moves with the extendable housing, wherein the foldable wardrobe assembly is foldable between a first orientation that reduces the width of the foldable wardrobe assembly so as to enable the extendable housing to be moved into the retracted configuration and a second orientation that restores the width of the foldable wardrobe to the width when the extendable housing is moved into the deployed configuration.
 21. The travel trailer of claim 20, wherein the foldable wardrobe comprises: a fixed cabinet attached to the extendable housing; a hinge attached to the fixed cabinet adjacent a first surface of a first cabinet; and a pivoting cabinet attached to the hinge at a first surface of a second cabinet so that a second cabinet can be pivoted about the hinge.
 22. The travel trailer of claim 21, wherein the first surface of the pivoting cabinet is oriented so as to be substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the fixed cabinet when the foldable wardrobe assembly is placed into the first orientation, and wherein the first surface of the pivoting cabinet is oriented so as to be substantially parallel with the first surface of the fixed cabinet when the foldable wardrobe assembly is placed into the second orientation.
 23. The travel trailer of claim 22, wherein the fixed cabinet of the foldable wardrobe assembly is positioned on the first level of the multilevel floor of the extendable housing.
 24. A recreational travel trailer that can be towed on a road by a passenger vehicle, the recreational travel trailer comprising: a frame; a plurality of wheels that attach to the frame so as to support the travel trailer in a state of rest and so as to support the travel trailer in a state of relative motion with respect to the road; a main housing having a plurality of walls that form an interior living space, wherein the main housing is coupled with the frame so as to support the main housing, wherein the main housing includes a first floor and a second floor that are vertically offset from each other, wherein the plurality of walls of the main housing further includes a first wall having a first opening; and an extendable housing having a storage configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein the extendable housing is comprised of a plurality of walls that form a supplemental living space therein, wherein the plurality of walls of the extendable housing form a first floor and a second floor, wherein the first floor and the second floor of the extendable housing are vertically offset from each other, wherein the extendable housing is positioned within the first opening of the first wall of the main housing so that the first floor of the extendable housing is positioned proximate the first floor of the main housing and so that the second floor of the extendable member is positioned proximate the second floor of the main housing, wherein the extendable housing, in the storage configuration, is positioned substantially inside the housing so as to provide the travel trailer with a shape that is suitable for being towed on a public road, and wherein the extendable housing, in the deployed configuration, is positioned substantially outside the housing so as to increase the interior living space of the travel trailer; a movement mechanism coupled with the extendable housing so as to be able to move the extendable housing between the storage configuration and the deployed configuration, wherein the movement mechanism comprises a first member attached to a first section of the extendable housing, wherein the first member is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, a second member attached to a second section of the extendable housing, wherein the second member is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the first and second members are adapted to move between the retracted position and the extended position simultaneously at the same rate in a manner so as to maintain the extendable housing in an aligned state with respect to the main housing.
 25. The travel trailer of claim 24 wherein the movement mechanism is comprised of at least one lineal actuator attached to the pop out assembly that is movable between a retracted position and an extended position.
 26. The travel trailer of claim 25 wherein the movement mechanism further comprises a means for moving the linear actuator between the retracted and the extended position.
 27. The travel trailer of claim 26, wherein the movement mechanism comprises: a first rail attached to the first end of the pop out assembly, wherein the first rail is movable between a retracted and extended position; a second rail attached a to a second end of the pop out assembly, wherein the second rail is movable between a retracted and extended position; a motor which is coupled with the first rail so as to be able to move the first rail between the retracted and extended position; a linkage assembly that links the first rail and the second rail so as to ensure that the first and second rails move between the retracted position and the extended position simultaneously at the same rate.
 28. The travel trailer of claim 27, wherein the linkage assembly comprises; a first shaft member mounted to the pop-out assembly so as to extend generally horizontally at a first height above the ground so as to be rotatable wherein the first shaft member is attached to the first rail so that movement of the first rail between the retracted position and the extended position results in corresponding rotation of the first shaft member; a second shaft member mounted to the pop-out assembly so as to extend generally at a second height above the ground and so as to be rotatable wherein the second shaft member is attached to the second rail so that rotation of the second shaft member results in movement of the second rail between the retracted position and the extended position; a vertical linkage mechanism that is coupled to the first and second shaft members so that rotational movement of the first shaft member results in corresponding rotational movement of the second shaft member.
 29. The travel trailer of claim 28, wherein the vertical linkage mechanism is comprised of a first sprocket attached to the first shaft member and a second sprocket attached to the end of the second shaft member and a continuous chain that is engaged with the first and second sprocket members so that rotation of the first sprocket member results in rotation of the second sprocket member.
 30. A travel trailer comprising: a frame; a set of wheels attached to the frame to permit rolling movement of the trailer over the ground; a floor attached to the frame, wherein the floor defines an inner living space of the trailer and wherein the floor has a first vertical level positioned at a first height above the ground and a second vertical level positioned at a second height above the ground greater than the first vertical level wherein the first vertical level defines a bathroom of the trailer and the second vertical level defines a bedroom of the trailer; a plurality of walls mounted on the floor so as to enclose the inner living space of the trailer; and a pop out assembly attached to a first wall of the plurality of walls of the trailer, the pop out assembly including a floor having a first level and a second level and a plurality of walls mounted at outer edges of the floor, wherein the pop out assembly is movable between a first position such that an outer wall of the pop out assembly is positioned adjacent an outer wall of the first wall and a second position wherein the pop out assembly is extended outward from the first wall and wherein the pop out assembly is attached to the first wall so that the first level of the pop out assembly increases floor area of the bathroom of the trailer and wherein the second level of the pop out assembly increases floor area of the bedroom of the trailer when the pop out assembly is in the extended position; a movement mechanism coupled with the pop out assembly so as to be able to move the pop out assembly between the first position and the second position, wherein the movement mechanism comprises a first member attached to a first section of the pop out assembly, wherein the first member is movable between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration, a second member attached to a second section of the pop out assembly, wherein the second member is movable between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration, wherein the first and second members are adapted to move between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration simultaneously at the same rate in a manner so as to maintain the pop out assembly in an aligned state with respect to the main housing.
 31. The travel trailer of claim 30, further comprising the movement mechanism coupled with the pop out assembly so that the pop out assembly is movable between the extended configuration and the retracted configuration.
 32. The travel trailer of claim 31, wherein the movement mechanism is comprised of at least one lineal actuator attached to the pop out assembly that is movable between a retracted position and an extended position.
 33. The travel trailer of claim 32, wherein the movement mechanism further comprises a means for moving the linear actuator between the retracted position and the extended position.
 34. The travel trailer of claim 33, further comprising a mechanism for ensuring that a first end and a second end of the pop out assembly move between the retracted position and the extended state at substantially the same rate.
 35. The travel trailer of claim 34, wherein the movement mechanism comprises: a first rail attached to the first end of the pop out assembly, wherein the first rail is movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a second rail attached to a second end of the pop out assembly, wherein the second rail is movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a motor which is coupled with the first rail so as to be able to move the first rail between the retracted position and the extended position; and a linkage assembly that links the first and the second rail so as to ensure that the fist and second rails move between the retracted position and the extended position simultaneously at the same rate.
 36. The travel trailer of claim 30, further comprising a movable cabinet assembly that is positioned within the pop out assembly that is movable between a storage configuration and a deployed configuration.
 37. The travel trailer of claim 36, wherein the movable cabinet is comprised of a foldable wardrobe assembly having a width wherein the foldable wardrobe assembly is positioned within the pop out assembly so that the foldable wardrobe assembly moves with the pop out assembly, wherein the foldable wardrobe assembly is foldable between a first orientation that reduces the width of the foldable wardrobe assembly so as to enable the pop out assembly to be moved into the retracted configuration and a second orientation that restores the width of the foldable wardrobe to the width when the extendable housing is moved into the deployed configuration.
 38. The travel trailer of claim 37, wherein the foldable wardrobe comprises: a fixed cabinet attached to the pop out assembly; a hinge attached to the fixed cabinet adjacent a first surface of the fixed cabinet; and a pivoting cabinet attached to the hinge at a first surface of a second cabinet so that a second cabinet can be pivoted about the hinge.
 39. The travel trailer of claim 38, wherein the first surface of the pivoting cabinet is orientated so as to be substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the fixed cabinet when the foldable wardrobe is placed into the first orientation, and wherein the first surface of the pivoting cabinet is oriented so as to be substantially parallel with the first surface of the fixed cabinet when the foldable wardrobe is placed into the second orientation. 